The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 18 - Character of One in Ecstatic Love: Difference between revisions
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Pages in category "The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 18 - Character of One in Ecstatic Love"
The following 92 pages are in this category, out of 92 total.
A
- A pure devotee of Lord Krsna resides in the district of Mathura or Vrndavana and visits all the places where Krsna's pastimes were performed
- An example of this perseverance and reservation is found in the behavior of King Pariksit
- An unalloyed devotee who has developed ecstatic love for Krsna is always engaging his words in reciting prayers to the Lord
- And, if by the manifestation of such shadow attachment one feels the disappearance of all material pangs, then it is called para attachment
- As attachment can be invoked by the association of pure devotees, so attachment can also be extinguished by committing offenses at the lotus feet of pure devotees
- As soon as an experienced devotee sees all of these caricatures, he can immediately evaluate such rascaldom. If such a pretender is sometimes seen possessing imitative attachment to Krsna, that will not be accepted as real attachment
- At these sacred places Krsna displayed His childhood activities with the cowherd boys and Mother Yasoda
- At this place Damodara, who can cut the knot of our material existence, was tied up by His mother Yasoda
- Attachment for Krsna is transcendental bliss. Amid unlimited volumes of transcendental bliss, a spot of some material defect cannot act in any way
- Attraction for Living in a Place Where Krsna Has His Pastimes
B
- Because such attachment in pure Krsna consciousness is very rare and not possible to achieve even for many liberated persons
- Bilvamangala said, "His eyes are always moist, and His lips are colored like copper, and through those lips there comes a sound vibration which drives one madder than a mad elephant. I want so much to see Him at Vrndavana"
- Bilvamangala said, "I am eagerly waiting to see that boy of Vrndavana whose bodily beauty is captivating the whole universe, whose eyes are always bounded by black eyebrows and expanded like lotus petals"
- Bilvamangala said, "the boy of Vrndavana who is always eagerly glancing over His devotees and therefore moving slightly here and there"
- By the association of pure devotees attachment for Krsna can be aroused, but if one commits offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee, one's shadow attachment or para attachment can be extinguished
- By the good grace of the Lord one may also cooperate and join in the chanting
E
- Emperor Bharata is a typical example of detachment. He had everything enjoyable in the material world, but he left it. This means that detachment does not mean artificially keeping oneself aloof and apart from the allurements of attachment
- Emperor Bharata was so attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Krsna that even in his youthful life he gave up all kinds of attachments to family, children, friends, kingdom, etc., as though they were untouchable stools
- Even in the presence of such allurements, if one can remain unattracted by material attachments, that is called detachment
- Even ordinary devotees cannot have such pure attachment for Krsna. Therefore, how is it possible for success to be achieved by persons whose hearts are contaminated by the actions and reactions of fruitive activities
- Everything has some value, and one has to pay the value before obtaining or possessing it
H
- He (a landlord from Calcutta) was also begging from door to door, even at the homes of his political enemies. Begging involves being ready to be insulted by persons at whose home one has come. That is natural
- He (a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna) is always certain that Krsna will bestow His mercy upon Him
- He (King Bhagiratha) was so humble that he respectfully bowed down before them
- He (one who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna) is always anxious to utilize his time in the devotional service of the Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always, twenty-four hours a day, without deviation
I
- If a person has completely engaged his mind, body and activities in the service of the Supreme Godhead, and externally he is found to be engaged in some abominable activities
- If a person is completely detached from material enjoyment and has developed pure ecstatic devotion, even if he is sometimes accidentally found not to be living up to the standard of devotional service, one should not be envious of him
- If an ordinary man develops such attachment for Krsna and fortunately performs devotional activities in the association of pure devotees, he can also rise up to the platform of pure devotional service
- If one can gradually advance his status in devotional service, this is understood to be due to the causeless mercy of Krsna Himself
- If someone becomes attached to the principles of salvation or to merging into the existence of the brahmajyoti, his ecstasies gradually diminish into shadow and para attachment or else transform into the principles of ahangrahopasana
- If someone, without undergoing the regulative principles of devotional service or without being guided by a bona fide spiritual master, shows such imitative attachment, this is called shadow attachment
- If the offense is very serious, then one's attachment becomes almost nil, and if the offense is not very serious, one's attachment can become second-class or third-class
- In the beginning, of course, a neophyte devotee must try to keep himself apart from all kinds of alluring attachments, but the real position of a mature devotee is that even in the presence of all allurements, he is not at all attracted
- In the Padma Purana it is stated that King Bhagiratha was the emperor above all other kings, yet he developed such ecstatic love for Krsna that he became a mendicant and went out begging even to the homes of his political enemies and untouchables
- In the same Karnamrta there is another statement about the chanting of Radharani
- In this connection, one prayer by Rupa Gosvami is sufficient to exemplify this hopefulness
- In this place Lord Krsna broke the cart in which the Sakatasura demon was concealed
- In this place the son of Maharaj Nanda used to live with His father, who was king of all cowherd men
- In this way his (an unalloyed devotee's) whole life is engaged in the service of the Lord, with not a moment wasted on any other engagement
- It is confirmed also in the Bhagavad-gita that a devotee who has unflinching faith in and devotion to the Lord, even if he is sometimes found to be accidentally deviated from pure devotional characteristics, should still be counted amongst the pure
- It is said by Rupa Gosvami that the attachment exhibited by pure devotees for Krsna cannot possibly be perfected in the heart of fruitive workers (karmis) or mental speculators
- It is stated in the Vedic literature that to purchase the most valuable thing, Krsna consciousness, one has to develop intense eagerness for achieving success. This intense eagerness is very nicely expressed by Bilvamangala Thakura
- It may be said, however, that such attachment is like giving a future hope to the pretender, so that he may eventually rise onto the actual platform of pure devotional service
O
- One has to tolerate such insults for the sake of Krsna. The devotee of Krsna can accept any position in the service of Krsna
- One of the associate of Radharani said, "O Lord Govinda, the girl who is daughter of King Vrsabhanu is now shedding tears, and She is anxiously chanting Your holy name - Krsna! Krsna"
P
- Pariksit said, "I have come to the bank of the Ganges just to devote my heart and soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna"
- Pariksit said, "I only request that at the last moment of my life all of you will kindly chant the holy name of Visnu, so that I may realize His transcendental qualities"
- Pariksit said, "So please bless me, that Mother Ganges may also be pleased with me. Let the curse of the brahmana's son fall upon me - I do not mind"
R
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (2) He is always reserved and perseverant
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (3) He is always detached from all material attraction
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (4) He does not long for any material respect in return for his activities
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (6) He is always very eager to serve the Lord faithfully
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (7) He is very much attached to the chanting of the holy names of the Lord
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (8) He is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (9) He is very pleased to live in a place where the Lord's pastimes are performed
- Rupa Gosvami next describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna
- Rupa Gosvami said, "And the process of bhakti-yoga, by which one is always thinking of Krsna and fixing His lotus feet in the heart, is also lacking in me"
- Rupa Gosvami said, "As far as philosophical knowledge or pious words are concerned, I don't see any opportunity for me to execute such activities. But above all, I am not even born of a nice family"
- Rupa Gosvami said, "I have no love for Krsna nor for the causes of developing love of Krsna - namely, hearing and chanting"
- Rupa said, "I simply wish and hope that some way or other I may be able to approach Your lotus feet, and this hope is giving me pain, because I think myself quite incompetant to approach that transcendental goal of life"
S
- Simply by the association of such pure devotees, the moonlike rays from their hearts reflect on him, and by the influence of the pure devotees he may show some likeness of attachment caused by inquisitiveness, but this is very flickering
- Sometimes it is found that a neophyte is taking part in chanting and dancing very enthusiastically, but within himself he is under the impression that he has become one with the supreme whole
- Sometimes it is found that a person actually attached to material enjoyment or salvation has the good fortune to associate with pure devotees while they are engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord
- Sometimes one may artificially imitate these, pretending that Krsna is talking with him in the form of a boy, or else one may pretend that Radharani and Krsna both have come to him and are talking with him
- Such attachment for Krsna cannot be invoked in a person without his being sufficiently blessed by the association of pure devotees
- Such characteristics are sometimes exhibited by the impersonalist class of men, and they may captivate some innocent persons who have no knowledge in the science of devotional service
- Such shadow attachment or para attachment can develop by associating with a pure devotee or by visiting holy places like Vrndavana or Mathura
T
- The conclusion is that steady progress in devotional service can be attained only in the association of pure devotees
- The King says there to all the sages present before him at the time of his death, "My dear brahmanas, you should always accept me as your surrendered servant"
- The strong conviction that one will certainly receive the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called in Sanskrit asa-bandha
- The system of circumambulating all these places is still current among devotees of Lord Krsna, and those coming to Mathura and Vrndavana always feel transcendental pleasure
- There are impersonalist philosophers and mystics, however, who by a show of devotional service want ultimately to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord
- There are many similar instances in the history of India. Even very recently, about 200 years ago or less, one big landlord known as Lalababu, a Calcutta landholder, became a Vaisnava and lived in Vrndavana
- There are many so-called devotees who artificially think of Krsna's pastimes, which are known as asta-kalika-lila
- There is a nice example of this detachment in connection with the character of King Bharata
- These abominable activities will surely be very quickly vanquished by the influence of his staunch devotional force
- They (the impersonalists) sometimes try to imitate a pure devotee's sentiment for visiting the holy places where Krsna had His pastimes, but they simply have a view for salvation, and so their activities cannot be considered attachment
- This ahangrahopasana describes a living entity when he begins spiritual realization by identifying himself with the Supreme Lord. This state of self realization is technically known as monism
- This attachment is very confidentially kept by Krsna and is only bestowed upon pure devotees
- This conception of monism (becoming one with the Supreme whole) is completely different from pure transcendental devotional service
- This extinguishing is like the waning moon, which gradually decreases and at last becomes darkness. One should therefore be very careful while associating with pure devotees to guard against committing an offense at their lotus feet
- This imitative attachment can be divided into two headings - namely, shadow attachment and para (transcendental) attachment
- Thus, without differentiating between himself and the Supreme Lord, it is his view that by worshiping himself he is worshiping the supreme whole
- Transcendental attachment is so powerful that if such attachment is seen manifested even in some common man, by the association of a pure devotee it can bring one to the perfectional stage
- Transcendental attachment, either shadow or para, can be nullified by different degrees of offenses at the lotus feet of pure devotees
W
- What shall I do for Krsna, who is pleasing beyond all pleasurable conceptions, and who is naughtier than all restless boys? The idea of Krsna's beautiful activities is attracting my heart, and I do not know what I can do
- When one is sufficiently eager to achieve success in devotional service, that eagerness is called samutkantha. This means "complete eagerness." Actually this eagerness is the price for achieving success in Krsna consciousness
- Within the mind he is always thinking of Krsna, and with his body he is either offering obeisances by bowing down before the Deity or is engaging in some other service. During these ecstatic activities he sometimes sheds tears